Test-milking apparatus



Oct. 23, 1951 E. REDIN r-:TAL 2,572,518

TEST-MILKING APPARATUS Filed April 9, 194e ro moz/UM sou/ME Patented Oct. 23, 1951 UN [TEDv STATES O F FICE? 2,572,5182 t TESTLMILKING PPRATE'US EriciReaimNorrkoping, andi-filelgen'yde, Smedslatten, Sweden-i Application Aprijrs, 194s, serial b. 20,143' rn sweden Apri1.261947 The' present invention has for its objectAv to provide a mechanizingY of the test-milking offv under the supervision of a controller w-hon'otes the quantity of milk obtained fromvthe individualanimalsr and by means of a galactoscope flndsoutl the. percentage of-` fat containedv in. the` milkfrom every individual animal;

Accordingl to the invention theY test-milking operation is accomplished by meansof amilking machine: having means fori taking test-samples fromeach individualanimal'and means for automatically sealing the; tubes or glasses containing the milk test samples while positively rendering any' scamping impossible. The taking of the samples may thus be entrusted to therespective owner` without supervision by a controller. The automatically filled and sealed test glasses or tubes,which may be so constructed and arranged as also to state the quantity of milk asobtained from the respective animal, are sent to a controlling authority where the milk obtained'fromV a district, within-whichone or more test-milking. apparatuses may be in circulation; is'analyzed.

As a result of this organization the'controlling; staff hitherto requiredy within alimited district may servefaconsiderably larger districtwithout neglecting the exactness ofthe control.

The principle of. the invention and the practical performance thereof will more nearly appearkfrom the following description-with reference to the accompanying drawing in'which aing machine and parts I'I to 25'and 28 to 30 of a! registering mechanism, while chamber 2 forms a milk collecting chamber in whichVv a testtubefor glassiSis held in a holding means" 34. Provided in' chamber I'are four teat cupsl, though" but onefthereof is visible in the drawing, becausevall of. the teat cups are assumed in the example shown to be situated beside each other inli an indented portion of the wall of chamber I so that the three remaining teat cups are concealed by that shown in the drawing. A flexible milk tube 5'leads' from each individual teat cup to a vdrum for receiving the tubes and an associated milk" collecting pipe E, the arrangement being suchV as to allow the teat cups to be withdrawn sufii ciently for placing themV on the teats of a cow to be test-milked. From said milk collecting pipe'L 6 a rigidmilk tube 'I extends by means of an airtight connection through the partition 32 be-l tween chambers I and Z'which tube ends in the upper portion ofV chamber 2. A? iiexible tubeY 8'V leading from each teat cup to the pulsator, shown at II, is woundaround a drum 9 having a centr-all collecting pipe I0 connected to the pulsator- I"Iv by a connecting tube i2. Leading t'o the pulsator II is also a vacuum pipe I3 connected at I4 toa vacuum source, not shown. Leading from said vacuum source is also a tube I5 adapted to be' connected' to a pipe or tube I6 leading throughchamber I` to the uppermost portion of chamber 2.

The registering means enclosed in chamber I- are adapted to cooperate with a record ribbon*v or strip I1 which is unwound from a magazine I8'- and wound on a drum I9 and passes, onits way between' magazine I8 and drum I9, a registeringstation' 20 represented in the drawingbya roll.

Cooperating withlthis roll are the following'me'ch VV anisms:l

aiA device forV control marking the teatcup unit, includinga lever 2'I cooperating with the milkreceiver 6, arod 22-controlled by said lever? andA provided with a retraction spring 33, andapointedlever 23 controlled by rod 22.

b. A pencil l2li for checking the quantity. Said] pencil is controlled by means of a connecting rod 2.5 'from an arm 26 projecting through the partition between chambers I and, 2 and extending into Athe path'of a float 2'I'in chamber 2.

c.y A numberingroll 28 which may be operated by a button 29 -provided outside `the wall of chamber I; The feed of said strip is effected by means of aclockwork 30, and shifting of the apparatus fro'mmilking staterto cleaning state or vice versa is effected by a hand lever 35fprovided with a'n index, as indicated at 3l.

The milk collecting chamber 2 is providedwithv a tap 32l for discharge ofl the milk.

The' construction of the details maybe varied:l withoutI departing fromthe principle of the in vention.

The operationy of the apparatus describedis substantiallyl as follows:

` In the description hereinbelow given'it may bev assumed that the cows in each Cow-house are registered and indicated by individual numbers.

At the distribution of the apparatus, test vessels, such as, tubes or glasses, are also sent and are stamped with the same numbers as those of the respective cows.

For performing a test milking procedure the apparatus should be placed at an appropriate place adjacent the cow to be milked, whereupon the vacuum tube I is connected to the vacuum pipe I6 within the apparatus and a test glass or tube carrying the registration number of the cow is inserted into the milk collecting chamber 2. When the button 29 is pressed, the apparatus is now ready for commencing the test milking operation. Before doing this, however, it is advisable to look at the index 3I in order to be sure that it is set for milking, that is to say, that the clockwork 30 is started.

The teat cups 4 are withdrawn in succession and placed on the teats of the cow to be milked. As soon as the withdrawal of a teat cup cornmences, this operation is registered on the control strip by the aid of the pointed lever 23. To this end the central milk collecting pipe 6 carries a cam or the like, not shown, Which operates the lever 2| on the beginning of the withdrawal. Immediatelybefore the teat cup is completely withdrawn, this will be marked on the control strip by a stroke, for which kpurpose the central milk collecting pipe 6 is appropriately designed. Corresponding markings are made when the milking operation is nished and the teat cupsare returned to their normal positions. The tube 5 will then be wound on the central milk collecting pipe 6 which now acts on lever 2I in the same way as before but in the reverse order. On the withdrawal and restoration of the teat cups the tube 8 will be unwound from or again wound on the drum 9. Both of the tubes 5 and 8 are acted on by springs, not shown, for retracting them, thereby securing an automatic winding of the tubes as the teat cups are restored to their normal positions in the indented portion 36 of the wall of chamber I.

b The milk collecting pipe 6 for collecting the milk from tubes 5 of the four teat cups is so constructed as to subject the teat cups to a vacuum only after the teat cups are completely withdrawn. In the drawing this is indicated by the provision in said position of a communication between the central milk space 31 of milk collecting, pipe 6 and the tube 5 shown through an opening 38 formed in the outer wall 39 of the central milk space of milk collecting pipe 6. During the performance of the milking operation the milk lflows from the teat cups via tubes 5, central milk space of pipe 6 and milk pipe 'I to the chamber 2. According as the milk rises in the chamber 2, the oat 21 rises and when reaching a Ycertain level acts on the arm 26, which is mounted to turn in a bearing 46 in partition 32, causing it to operate the pencil 24 by way of rod 25 and links, not shown, so as to cause it to record the milk quantity on strip II. While the milk level is rising in the chamber 2 the test tube or glass 3 is accordingly filled, the test glass or tube having for this purpose openings 42 and 43 controlled by valves 45 and 46, respectively at its upper and lower ends for the entrance of the milk and the expelling of the air, respectively.

vAfter the milking operation is completed and the teat cups are removed and again brought back to their normal position, shown in the drawing, the vacuum tube I5 is removed from vacuum pipe I6. The vacuum hitherto existing in the milk container 2 is thus nullied. The tap 32 can now be opened for emptying the chamber 2, allowing the milk therein to pass down into the vessel 33. After emptying the chamber 2 the test tube or glass 3 is removed and sent to the controlling station in connection with returning the milking apparatus, after the entire herd of animals has been tested in the way above described.

What we claim is:

1. A test milking apparatus comprising ln combination, a vacuum milking machine including a set of teat cups and associated flexible tubes, a casing for said milking machine, reeling means in said casing supporting said nexible tubes and collecting the milk passing therethrough from the teat cups, a vacuum receptacle receiving the milk from said collecting means, a permanent connection between said milk collecting means and said receptacle, and a test vessel removably inserted in said receptacle for receiving a sample of the milk therein according as the receptacle is lled with milk.

2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, in which the casing denes two chambers communicating with each other, one of said chambers containing a vacuum milking machine comprising section means and teat cups and associated exible teat cup tubes and cooperating recording and registering mechanisms while only exposing the teat cups proper, and the other chamber comprising the milk receiving chamber.

3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 2, in which the said inst-mentioned chamber of the casing also contains reeling means for the flexible teat cup tubes which allows the withdrawal of the teat cups and causes an automatic retraction of the teat cups to normal position when released.

4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 3, in which the reeling device is so constructed as to connect a vacuum source to the teat cup tubes only when the tubes are unrolled to their maximum extent.

5. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, in which the chamber containing the vacuum milking machine also contains means for registering the quantity of milk supplied to the receptacle, means for registering the operative period of each individual teat cup, and means for registering identifying notations for the animals.

6. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, in which the receptacle is provided with a holder in its* bottom to receive the test tube or glass, saidl holder being adapted to be closed to the surroundings by the inserted tube or glass.

ERIC REDIN. HELGE RYDE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Anderson Sept. 5, 1944Y 

